Everyone knows that in a merger or acquisition deal, time is not a friend.  The longer transfer negotiations drag on without an agreement, the less likely a deal is going to be signed.  This is mostly because over time, both parties are more likely to adopt adversarial positions.  When things slow down, firms begin to assume the successor isn’t making the transaction a priority and may not the right candidate for their offer.  Do they even have the capacity to handle such a venture?  With each contract revision, the involved parties continue to reread the documents, often finding new problems…